A dad had more than two-thirds of his penis chopped off after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Patrick Howard, 65, from Liverpool, was told that he could have thrush when he spoke to a doctor over the phone in 2020 complaining about his penis, which was red and itching.
After a check-up, Patrick was diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of terminal penile cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
He said: ‘We were shocked, deeply shocked, and he said I needed to have an operation.’
‘I said to Laura, my now-wife, ‘I don’t know what operation they’re going to do, but surely they’re not going to chop it off?’
‘And she said, ‘Well I hate to say this, but I think that’s exactly what they’re going to do.’
Patrick underwent surgery to remove approximately four inches of his penis, followed by an operation to remove lymph nodes around his groin and pelvic area before radiotherapy.
Lumps continued to appear on Patrick’s penis, however, meaning he required chemotherapy. Patrick described the treatment, which caused him to lose his hair, as ‘heavy duty.’
He underwent a second phase of treatment in 2023 and has been managing his condition ever since, with his most recent scan showing that existing lumps had ether shrunk or stayed the same size.
But Patrick, who married Laura in 2021, says that the surgery has only strengthened his relationship.
Speaking about his sex life, he said: ‘It’s not penetrative, but there’s a whole load of other things you can do, and there’s still a lot of pleasure and sensation.
‘It’s only strengthened our strong relationship.’
Patrick, who feels ‘amazing’ at the moment, wants to raise awareness about penile cancer and HPV following his diagnosis.
He said ‘I didn’t even know penile cancer existed.
‘All men should go and get checked and keep their partner in the loop from the beginning – I wouldn’t have been able to get through this without Laura.
‘Men are crap at talking about stuff, but definitely talk to your nearest and dearest and don’t be embarrassed.’
Penile cancer is extremely rare and predominantly affects men over the age of 50. Roughly half of all penile cancers are caused by certain types of HPV, according to the NHS.
NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, Professor Peter Johnson, said: ‘In England, the HPV vaccine is offered to all children between the ages of 11-13, those up to the age of 25 who have missed their vaccination, or men who have sex with men.
‘Anyone with worrying symptoms should contact their GP because detecting cancer early gives you the best chance of successful treatment.’
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